KATHMANDU, Feb 7: The government authorities who are responsible for protecting the rights of persons with disabilities have failed to fulfill their responsibility effectively.
This is evident from the fact that the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Police arbitrarily detained five visually impaired individuals who were singing a song in Ratnapark, Kathmandu to make a living.
Following the incident, a group of visually impaired individuals staged a demonstration in front of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) office on Tuesday, demanding proper management and arrangement of livelihood.
Musicians in the making
Purna Rokka, a visually impaired person said, “Developmental infrastructure is not friendly for us. We lack access to basic facilities and services such as transportation, rental rooms, job opportunities and so on. Despite being a citizen of this country, we are discriminated against not only by society but also by the government.”
He added, “This city also belongs to us. We make our livelihood by singing songs on the streets. We are compelled to do so due to the absence of other viable alternatives.”
The Disability Rights Act of 2017, which replaced the Disabled Persons Welfare Act of 1982, aims to ensure that every person can live with dignity and strictly prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. However, its implementation appears far from reality.
According to the Section 24 (1) of Chapter-6 of the Act Relating the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2074, the Government of Nepal is responsible for providing vocational training in order to develop professionalism and create self employment by enhancing the skills of the persons with disabilities.
Similarly, Section 7 of Chapter 3 has provisions to ensure the rights of the person with disabilities under the prevailing law. Section 7 (1) states that no person with disability shall be subjected to discrimination on the basis of disability or be deprived of personal liberty.
Deep Hari Pariyar from the same group expressed that their basic rights have been violated and denied by the concerned authorities who are responsible for its protection.
“We don’t have other skills and are not educated. We are neither accepted by private companies nor are we financially stable,” he said, “Our rights to food, shelter, clothes, employment, health and education should be ensured.”
KMC has banned living on the roadside. The demonstrators also demanded that there must be an alternative arrangement of proper space and a suitable environment for self-employment if the authorities evict them from the streets. One of the demonstrators said, “I am also a citizen of this country. This city also belongs to me.”
